During the drilling and completion of oil and gas wells, it may be useful to lighten columns of fluid in order to control better the pressures associated with large columns of fluid, including drilling mud and other slurries, such as cement, which is used to set casing strings during the drilling and completion process. By mixing low density articles with these fluids, the weight of the column is reduced in order to achieve desirable engineering goals associated with the drilling and completion process. These goals may include improving down hole pressure and fluid loss control, extending depths to which casing strings may be set, lowering well costs, and obtaining other benefits without adverse effects.
Low density articles may also be useful in providing buoyancy and thermal insulation associated with, for example, the installation of deep water pipelines. By mixing the low density articles with certain foams or other media used to fill the annulus between a pipeline and an outer casing, buoyancy may be provided, which often has desirable engineering benefits associated with laying the pipeline in great depths of water. Low density articles may also provide an enhanced insulation effect against temperature extremes inside and outside the pipeline casing.